Indo-Pacific governments have issued uneven responses to the 2026 U.S.–Israel war with Iran, calling for restraint while diverging in tone once alliance obligations, energy exposure, domestic politics and Gulf ties enter the calculation. A shared preference for de-escalation is visible across official statements, even as governments differ in how closely they align with Washington’s framing.
Public positions range from Australian support for preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said, to Chinese condemnation of the strikes on sovereignty grounds, China’s foreign ministry said. Japan has also said Iran’s development of nuclear weapons “must never be allowed,” according to Japan’s foreign ministry.
The crisis has not produced a clear regional split between supporters and critics of Washington. Most Indo-Pacific governments have framed their responses around restraint, civilian protection and stability, according to official statements and UN records.
Governments across the region also face the risk of energy disruption linked to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which oil flows averaged 20 million barrels a day in 2024, or about 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. EIA also estimates that 83% of the LNG moving through Hormuz in 2024 went to Asian markets, according to a separate EIA analysis.
Australia has taken one of the closest public positions to Washington’s strategic framing. Canberra said Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon and that Australia had provided “a statement of support” to the United States, while saying it was “not involved in this conflict,” according to Assistant Foreign Minister Matt Thistlethwaite.
Japan has repeated its opposition to Iranian nuclear weapons while avoiding overt endorsement of the strikes. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Japan was “seriously concerned about the deterioration of the situation” and that “Iran’s development of nuclear weapons must never be allowed,” according to Japan’s foreign ministry. Japan has also said it supports diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue, according to a G7 meeting readout.
China has condemned the strikes as violations of sovereignty and the United Nations Charter. Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the attack was “a grave violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security” and “tramples on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter,” according to the March 2 briefing. On March 3, the ministry added that the U.S.-Israeli strikes had “no UN Security Council authorization,” according to a second briefing.
